Budget 2024: Rs 26,000 Cr Road Projects Proposed For Bihar - New Expressways & More

Budget 2024- Infrastructure: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Tuesday a budget of Rs 26,000 crore for various road projects in Bihar, including some expressways and bridges to boost infrastructure.

Budget 2024 - Road Connectivity Projects For Bihar: Bihar was anticipating a special state status to be announced in the Union Budget 2024. However, it will have to be content with only a special economic package. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Tuesday a budget of Rs 26,000 crore for various road projects in Bihar, including some expressways and bridges to boost infrastructure. Additionally, an industrial node is to be developed at Gaya on the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor.

In her budget speech, Nirmala Sitharaman said, "On the Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor, we will support development of an industrial node at Gaya. This corridor will catalyze industrial development of the eastern region. The industrial node at Gaya will also be a good model for developing our ancient centres of cultural importance into future centres of modern economy." 

Proposed Road Connectivity Projects

-- Patna-Purnea Expressway
-- Buxar-Bhagalpur Expressway
-- Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Vaishali & Darbhanga spurs
-- Additional 2-lane bridge over river Ganga at Buxar

"We will support development of road connectivity projects, namely (1) Patna-Purnea Expressway, (2) Buxar-Bhagalpur Expressway, (3) Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Darbhanga spurs, and (4) additional 2-lane bridge over river Ganga at Buxar at a total cost of ` 26,000 crore," FM Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced new airports, medical colleges, and sports infrastructure for Bihar. "Power projects, including setting up of a new 2400 MW power plant at Pirpainti, will be taken up at a cost of Rs 21,400 crore.  New airports, medical colleges, and sports infrastructure in Bihar will be constructed," she added.

Additionally, the central government will formulate a plan, Purvodaya, for the all-round development of the eastern region of the country, covering Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. Nirmala Sitharaman  said, "This will cover human resource development, infrastructure, and generation of economic opportunities to make the region an engine to attain Viksit Bharat."